Zak Crawley Claims Ignorance of Captain Stokes' Provocative 'Weak Men' Comments

England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".

The all-rounder made those words in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.

In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.

"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said the England leader.

But, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."

"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.

Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy

Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.

The team afterwards took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.

Before this match, he said his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.

Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in charge.

"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."

The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory

Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.

The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.

This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.

Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.

This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.

Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.

"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."

"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.

"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."

Pope's Place Under Scrutiny

While Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.

Pope was out for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.

In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.

A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.

But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."

"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."

"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.